'I Lost My Body', 'Weathering With You', 'Marona' and 'Swallows' Win Animation Is Film Prizes.

Last weekend saw the third annual Animation Is Film Festival take place in Hollywood. The event from GKIDS Films, Annecy International and Variety brings the best in international animation to audiences in the United States. This year's films in the competition included a varied line-up with films from Japan, China, France, India, and Romania and more.

This year's jury included Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Jorge Guiterrez, Matthew Cherry, Anne Thompson, Melissa Cobb and Charles Solomon.

Jeremy Clapin's I Lost My Body (France) added to its growing list of awards (which include the Cannes Critics Week grand prize as well as a double at Annecy) by picking up the festival's grand prize. French/Romania co-production Marona's Fantastic Tale from director Anca Damian was awarded the Jury Prize.

When it came to the audience award, however, attendees were split. So in a surprise development, the Audience Award goes jointly to Makoto Shinkai's Weathering With You (Japan) and Swallows Of Kabul (France/Luxembourg/Switzerland).

The four films screened in competition alongside White Snake, No 7 Cherry Lane, and SHe (all China); Ride Your Wave and Children of The Sea (Japan) and Bombay Rose (India).

Of the four winning films, only Swallows Of Kabul does not yet have a US release confirmed (although surely it must be only a matter of time). Weathering With You and Marona are both set to be released by GKIDS, while I Lost My Body is set to stream internationally on Netflix (excluding France).

[source: AIF]